Infrastructure

Infrastructure grants improve the quality of life in a residential area or in a local government's jurisdiction to correct problems that pose a severe health or environment risk where at least 70% of the residents are low and moderate-income.

Program Requirements: Eligible activities include the replacement or installation of public water or sewer lines, improvements to water or sewer treatment plants that have specific problems such as being under moratoriums or special orders of consent. Selection criteria are based on regional solutions and severity of water needs.

21st Century/Tier 1 Communities: The following counties are eligible for this special 2011 pool of infrastructure funds: Alexander, Camden, Clay, Cleveland, Jones, Nash, Pamlico, Scotland, and Stokes. Non-entitlement municipalities within these counties are eligible, but only one project can be submitted per county.

Maximum Grant Amount: $750,000Match: There is a 5% match for the regular infrastructure funding pool, but there is no match required for the 21st Century/Tier 1 pool unless under the following conditions:

The lines are over 8" in diameter

Vacant land over 1/4 mile or project costs are more than $750,000

The project is serving or connecting over-income persons

The application process involves three (3) steps consisting of a letter of interest, a meeting with Program Development staff, and submitting an application.

Hook-Up Program

The Infrastructure Hook-Up Program enables eligible local governments with existing public water and/or sewer line(s) to connect or "hook-up" low and moderate-income (LMI) households to non-CDBG funded line(s).

Program Requirements: CDBG funds may only be used to connect LMI owner-occupied dwellings and LMI tenant-occupied dwellings provided the landlord is also LMI. Eligible activities include:

Tap-on or assessment fee to connect to the line

Service connection for the private property

Use of special equipment such as grinder pumps or vacuum pits to transport residential wastewater to the existing sewer lines

Cost to remove septic tanks or cap wells, as required by the health department

Repairs to a LMI household's leaking water pipes provided that the leaking pipes are a result of connecting to the public water line

Maximum Grant Amount: $75,000

A local government interested in applying for the Infrastructure Hook-Up Program must find out if funds are available and, if so, request to be put on the prospective applicant list. If funds are available, the requested amount will be reserved for the applicant. An applicant will have 90 days from the date of the request to submit the application; otherwise, the reservation will be rescinded and will become available to another applicant.